We get it. Young consumers are on social media constantly, and brands want to talk to them there. But many aren't necessarily getting...

March 18th, 2015

Millennial News Feed

Quote of the Day: “My favorite ad was a Forever 21 online banner with a plus-sized model that was showing off a new swimsuit design and hat. I liked it so much because it was simple, fresh, and relatable. There was nothing extreme about it, and I could totally see myself in the model's place.” –Female, 22, CA

Mobile devices are making Millennial car buyers more self-sufficient than their parents. According to a study by auto shopping site Edmunds.com, 41% of 18-34-year-olds say that they use their phones and tablets to read vehicle reviews, while only 20% of other adults do the same. They are also more likely than older shoppers to use smartphones to compare prices, find cars for sale, and text dealers. However, this does not mean that dealerships will become obsolete: 64% still desire face-to-face interaction when it comes to sealing the deal, and 96% would want to test drive a vehicle before buying. (MediaPost)

Young consumers avidly share video clips and love “snackable” content. But it takes some expertise and effort to actually create snippets of video from favorite shows and entertainment, not to mention the fact that making them is not strictly legal—until now. New app Whipclip is partnering with music labels and TV networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and VH1 to let fans create their own video clips of content up that they can then share on social media, by email, or via text. An algorithm will pick up on users’ preferences and share promoted clips in the future. Tonight Whipclip is promoting their debut with theComedy CentralRoast of Justin Bieber, which could be “one of the more social TV events of the spring,” and has had almost 4 billion social-media impressions before even airing. (streamdaily, Ad Age)

As Millennials become the majority of parents, their ideal is to share the childcare load, and they expect marketing tropes to change with them and start acknowledging dads’ contributions. It’s not just to make them feel included, Millennial dads have real spending power and are making more household purchasing decisions than previous generations. Research has found that 80% of Millennial dads are claiming primary or shared grocery shopping responsibilities, compared to 45% of dads overall. For the new generation of papas, “being a devoted father is a badge of honor,” and 49% say they are mainly responsible for planning their kids’ activities, versus only 23% of dads over 35-years-old who say the same. (Ad Age)

We can keep adding to the list of things Millennials are being blamed for: Macy’s CFO says the generation’s love of Netflix is one reason for the retailer’s weak sales. Confused? The theory it seems is that young consumers are spending on digital services rather than products in stores—however, data does not seem to back that idea. Regardless, Macy’s is working to get Millennials into stores and onto its site more often, and plans to focus on weddings to attract them as they head down the aisle, and hopefully “keep [them] after they get married and grow up.” (MarketWatch)

The birds and the bees conversation is, more often than not, awkward for both parents and kids. But new workshops are trying to make “the talk” more fun, candid, and informative. Great Conversations hosts honest, entertaining, and engaging sex-ed classes that speak to two generations at once to make the topic more approachable for families. The course “For Girls Only” brought in 14,000 attendees last year, and opens the floor to anyand all questions girls might have about sex and bodies. Boys are offered a different class, which begins with boys and their dads singing “The Penis Opera” as an icebreaker. (New York Times)

Need to know what this generation is thinking about right now? We’re not mind readers, but we’re pretty close. Silver and Gold Ypulse.com subscribers have access to the Live Instant Q&A Stream of questions being asked and answered in our mobile, social Q&A network in real-time. The questions that they ask each other can be more revealing than the questions that we ask them, and give you an unfiltered look into the trends and concerns of young consumers as they are happening. (Ypulse)

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